The invention concerns a wind power installation comprising a pylon, a foundation for the pylon and an energy transfer unit for transfer of the current generated to the power network.
Wind power installations of that kind are well-known from the state of the art. By means of installations of that kind, the energy stored in the wind is converted into electrical energy by way of a rotor which rotates in the wind and a generator which is driven by the rotor. In order to be arranged at a height of optimum wind speed, the rotor is generally disposed at the tip of a tower or pylon. By virtue of the not inconsiderable weight of the installation overall and the loadings involved with high wind speeds, the entire installation must be anchored in the ground by means of a foundation.
It is also known that the current generated by the wind power installation is passed by way of a line laid in the ground to an energy transfer unit for transfer of the current generated to the power network. That energy transfer unit which usually includes a transformer is in that case disposed at some distance from the pylon and by virtue of its also not inconsiderable weight is usually anchored to the ground by a foundation.
A disadvantage with wind power installations of that kind which are known from the state of the art however is that they are relatively inflexible in terms of erection thereof. For often installations of that kind are used in regions in which for example due to the ground consisting of rock, it is only possible at extremely high cost and complication to drive a foundation into the ground. In the state of the art therefore installing the energy transfer units at a spaced position from the pylon of the wind power installation often gives rise to serious difficulties and thus involves increased costs in terms of emplacement and erection.
A further disadvantage with the known wind power installations as set forth in hereinbefore is that the energy transfer units are accessible to anyone by virtue of their position on the ground and can thus be the victim of sabotage. In order to prevent such sabotage by unauthorised parties, it is admittedly known for the energy transfer units of wind power installations of that kind to be provided with suitably secured openings or fencing enclosures but this is also disadvantageous in consideration of the additional costs involved.
Therefore the object of the invention is to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages of the state of the art and to provide a wind power installation of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, which can be set up even in inhospitable areas and which effectively makes sabotage by unauthorised parties more difficult.
In accordance with the invention, in a wind power installation of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, that object is attained in that the weight of the energy transfer unit is carried by the foundation of the pylon.
The advantages of the invention are in particular that there is no need for an additional foundation for the energy transfer unit to be provided in the ground. The invention provides that the foundation for the pylon, which is usually of a very stable nature in any case by virtue of the demands referred to in the opening part of this specification, is also used for supporting the weight of the energy transfer unit. The invention therefore completely saves on the costs of an additional foundation.
It is particularly advantageous in the case of the wind power installation according to the invention that safeguarding the pylon against access by unauthorised parties simultaneously prevents unauthorised parties having access to the energy transfer unit. Thus for example an enclosure for the pylon which is already present means that an energy transfer unit which is mounted directly to the pylon on the foundation of the pylon can also be safeguarded against unauthorised parties by the fencing enclosure. In addition for example a pylon which is hollow in its interior can accommodate the energy transfer unit in its interior so that the energy transfer unit, even without an enclosure around the pylon, is safeguarded against sabotage by unauthorised parties. In the case of the last-mentioned embodiment it is moreover particularly advantageous that the power lines from the pylon to the energy transfer unit can be kept very short as by virtue of its position in the interior of the pylon, the energy transfer unit is in the closest possible proximity to the power cables which extend in the interior of the pylon and which run from the current generator to the energy transfer unit. Moreover, in this embodiment, the energy transfer unit is completely protected from the weather by virtue of its being positioned in the interior of the pylon. By virtue thereof, particularly in areas involving aggressive and corrosive weather conditions, for example in the proximity of the sea with correspondingly salt-laden air, it is possible very substantially to forego a particularly expensive sealing arrangement or expensive anti-corrosion measures for the energy transfer unit.
A further, particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is distinguished in that the energy transfer unit is fixed externally to the pylon. In this embodiment the energy transfer unit is admittedly not weather-proofed as in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment; it is however advantageously exposed to the cooling wind so that for example it is possible to eliminate cooling for a transformer of the energy transfer unit, as is possibly necessary in particular in hot areas. In addition, in this embodiment possible malfunctions of the energy transfer unit which for example could cause a fire do not spread directly to the overall installation.
A particularly preferred embodiment is one in which the energy transfer unit is disposed approximately at the height of an overland power line of the power network, to which the wind power installation is connected. This embodiment therefore provides that the power is transferred directly to the overland power line directly at the height thereof so that there is no need for any additional lines from the energy transfer unit to the not inconsiderable height of conventional overland power lines.
In this embodiment moreover the overland power lines also do not have to be taken down to the proximity of the ground so that this embodiment is also distinguished by enjoying an increased level of safeguard against sabotage.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the appendant claims.